Breaking Maura
by inhummus
Summary: Narcotics detective Jane Rizzoli just found a weakness to penetrate Paddy Doyle's gang - his daughter, Maura.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** This idea had been gnawing at me for awhile. I love the idea of an (even more) bull-headish Jane, desperate to do anything to get into Homicide. I know there are a couple of variations of a Maura Doyle storyline, but I wanted to try something that still felt authentic to the Maura we know. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

><p>Stretching her arms above her head, Jane sighed in frustration. She had spent the whole morning convincing her good-for-nothing partner Frank that drug deals were happening at the corner of Thompson and Congress, but so far they had spotted nothing. After four hours of no movement (and constant unwanted distraction from Frank), she got out of the car and made her way around the corner to grab lunch, frowning as she realized another week had gone by and she had nothing to show for herself.<p>

Jane knew she was better than stake outs. The department should be using her to question suspects and put together a case, but because of her age and sex, she would be stuck at what just barely beat out desk duty until she proved them otherwise. Jane angrily kicked a beer can that had rolled towards her. She was positive she had heard kids reference that Pete stood at this corner to deal.

The beer can rolled back towards her after hitting the curb. Pete, a red-headed smartass, had been eluding her for weeks. She and Frank had had multiple run-ins with him, and Pete had always seemed to slip through their fingers, both literally and figuratively. His fast talking and quick feet had gotten him out of previous scrapes with other officers, and she knew if she could bring him in, the Narcotics squad would finally start taking her seriously.

She rounded another corner, trying to remember exactly where the Chinese restaurant was before doing a double take. _Was that actually him? _Jane crouched down behind a parked car and squinted, trying to see if the skinny red headed figure was Pete. Jane's eyes widened as she realized not only was it him - he was about to make a deal. She reached into her back pocket and fumbled for a moment with her phone before bringing it up to take a picture as the drugs and money exchanged hands. Her face broke out into a smile, excited to see Pete try to weasel his way out of photographic evidence. She weighed her options for a moment, knowing it was stupid to approach Pete alone, but she wasn't about to let him squirm away yet again. She wanted this bust. She needed it.

Right as she stepped forward, Jane's phone went off, causing Pete to look over his shoulder. His eyes went wide as he spotted her, and before Jane could shout at him, he slid through a broken gate and sprinted into the alley to his right.

Jane cursed and began running, chasing Pete over a fence as he led her towards the warehouses by the dock. Her hear pounded as she turned the corner, but she pressed on as she realized she was beginning to gain on him. Just as she was only a few yards away, Pete cut sideways and disappear through a door into one of the warehouses.

Jane hesitated for just a moment before throwing caution to the wind. She pulled open the door, drawing her gun. The door shut behind her, throwing the large warehouse into darkness. Jane slowed down, trying desperately to hear where Pete had gone, but the only sound she could hear was her own staggered breathing. She began to panic, quickly turning left and right, unsure of where to point her gun in the darkness.

She heard a scuffle from behind her, and before Jane had time to turn around, she felt a blunt force against her ribcage. She gasped, trying to catch her breath, throwing her arms out widely to try to place him in the darkness. She felt her elbow make contact with Pete's head and adjusted to point the gun in his direction.

There was a brief struggle before Jane's shot went off, his body falling onto her's. Jane grimaced as she tried to push him off of her, the pain from Pete's initial blow beginning to creep in.

"Was that a gun shot?" Jane heard a voice shout in the distance.

Scrambling to get up, Jane heard heavy footsteps as more voices joined in. In a haze of panic, she ran to the nearest shipping crate, trying to find cover. Jane heard the doors to the side of the warehouse open and tried to steady her erratic breathing, grimacing as the pain in her ribs intensified.

"Is that Pete? Is he dead?" another voice called out.

Jane inched her way behind a shelf, trying to get a better glimpse. She could make out nearly twenty men surrounding the body, guns drawn. Was Pete actually a part of something bigger?

"Search the perimeter. They couldn't have gotten far," said a gravelly voice.

Jane gasped as she made out the source of the voice, her excitement forgoing the pain in her ribs. After studying his tapes for months, there wasn't a doubt in her mind that the shadowy figure standing over the body was that of Paddy Doyle.

Her mind raced. Pete had led her to Paddy Doyle, one of the most feared drug lords in the south side of Boston. No one had spotted him for years.

Crawling to a nearby shelving unit, Jane crept between two boxes, tucking her legs in to try to hide herself completely out of view. She held her breath as the she heard footsteps down the aisle next to her, fearing that her beating heart would give away her location.

Jane heard a strangled noise from the middle of the room. She lifted her head slightly to look over the box shielding her from sight to try to make out what was going on.

_Shit. He's alive._

Jane chewed the inside of her cheek. If Pete was alive, he could identify Jane. She -

"Is he alive? Should we bring in the doc?" asked one of the men in a panic.

"Not until we get the okay." Paddy said, his voice still emotionless.

"All clear," echoed out from different corners of the warehouse moments later.

Jane watched as Paddy nodded to one of the men, who picked up his cellphone and made a call. Jane closed her eyes and prayed that the doctor wouldn't get there in time to save him.

Moments later, a figure appeared in the lit doorway. Jane could only make out a shadow. It was a woman.

Jane shifted as she strained her eyes. _Is that the doctor?_

Jane squinted and brought up a hand to shield her eyes as the light flickered on, straining to make out who the woman was as her eyes slowly adjusted to the light.

The woman's golden hair shone brightly in the harsh fluorescents, moving with an effortless grace towards the body, even with the high heeled shoes. She wore a dark purple trench jacket wrapped tightly against her body, as if she knew how many eyes were following her.

She tucked the trench coat under her as she bent down to crouch near the body, quickly unbuttoning Pete's shirt.

"Is he going to make it?" One of the men asked, breaking the silence.

The doctor didn't answer. Instead, she opened a bag and pulled out a bottle with clear liquid. Jane jaw dropped as she watched the woman splash what must be alcohol over the man's chest and, without hesitation, drew a blade against his skin.

The man cried out in pain and began writhing. The doctor took something out of her bag and said softly, "Bite this."

The man made a strangled moan as she set back to work on his chest. Just a few seconds later, she paused and turned to Paddy behind her.

"He needs to go to the hospital." She said quickly. "There's nothing more I can do."

That appeared to be all Paddy needed to her. He nodded, stepping closer to Pete's writhing form, and shot him in the head.

Jane looked over at the doctor, who had quickly turned her head away, her eyes still closed tightly as if trying to rid herself of the memory. She couldn't be more than thirty years old.

"Maura," Paddy said, offering a hand for the woman to stand up. He then lowered his voice and leaned in. Jane could just barely make out what he was saying. "Why don't you stop at Central Grounds to clear your head? I'm sorry you had to see that; I didn't want him to suffer."

Jane felt as if the entire world was coming to a stop. Maura... as in Maura Doyle? Jane knew the story of Paddy Doyle's love affair with a well-to-do doctor. The whole city did. The story was only revealed when the doctor lost the baby just three days after being born. Jane had even seen the tombstone.

Jane's heart began to race as she realized what she had just found: the weak link to Paddy Doyle.

Paddy cleared his throat, commanding attention. "Clearly Pete was followed here, which means this place is no longer safe. I expect you all to be packed up and out of here within the hour. I'll talk to James to figure out our next location."

Jane held her breath as the men filed past her towards the side door. The moment the doors clanged shut, she bolted towards the entrance she came through, trying to ignore the searing pain from where she was hit earlier.

This was it – her big break. If she could hand Doyle to Cavanaugh, she would be set. Youngest woman ever promoted to homicide. Jane couldn't help but break out in a smile. The only thing she needed to do was to find out their next location.

She slowly walked back to where the police car was parked and found her partner, Frank, leaning against the hood of the car, eating a hot dog.

"'zoli," he said before swallowing. "There you are. I was beginning to get worried."

Jane looked at the hot dog in his hand and cocked her eye brow. "Apparently."

"Well, man's gotta eat. Where have you been?" he asked, crumpling up the wrapper.

"I caught Pete dealing," she responded flatly.

"Nice! Hate that little shit. Did you get the money shot?"

"I shot him," she said, opening the car door.

"What? Oh jeez, Rizzoli. The paper work we're going to have to fill out…"

Jane gritted her teeth. She couldn't wait to move out of Narcotics. People like Frank were a dime a dozen in the division. She needed this win. It was going to be her ticket to Homicide.

* * *

><p>"You're sure it was him, Rizzoli?" Cavanaugh asked, rubbing his forehead.<p>

"Positive. And get this – his daughter is alive."

"What? The daughter buried at First Memorial?"

"The very one. Maura Doyle. I think she's my way in," Jane explained. "I don't think she's stomaching the family business so well. We can use her."

Cavanaugh closed his eyes, as if replaying Jane's words in his head. "So they're no longer staying at the warehouse?"

"No, Doyle figured it had been compromised. We should get a team down there to swipe for prints. But if I can talk to the daughter, I think we can bust the entire operation. Not just get Doyle, but figure out who all of his men are. Everyone he's got working on the inside," Jane said, her excitement building. "This could be big. For both of us."

"You think we can get her to be a CI? Betray her own father?" Cavanaugh asked.

"I don't know. Either way, I don't want to spook her. Let me talk to her – let me get her to trust me."

Cavanaugh sighed, but eventually nodded his head. "So you lost where the men were. What makes you think you're going to find the girl again?"

"Stakeout Central Grounds," Jane said quickly. "I heard Doyle mention it to her – the way he described it, it sounds like she must go there a lot. Kind of like a safe haven from all of it."

"And I assume you think you're the best detective to win her over?"

"What – yeah! Come on sir, this is my case."

"It is. But we can't afford to blow this. And Rizzoli, you're not exactly known for your warm heart."

Jane scoffed and folded her arms tightly across her chest. "Trust me. I can do it."

Cavanaugh nodded, as if thinking everything over one more time. "You can stakeout Central Grounds for a week. If we don't see her, I'm putting you back up for active cases."

Jane nodded, trying to hold back her excitement. She grabbed her keys and set straight to work.

* * *

><p>Jane rubbed her eyes and yawned. It had been four days, and still no sighting of Paddy's daughter. She clenched her jaw at the thought of losing this lead. Jane was sure she would catch the girl here eventually, but she was running out of time. What if their new location meant that Maura had found a new coffee shop to hang out in? What if she –<p>

Jane's fingers clutched the wheel. She spotted a blonde head walking towards the door in a floral dress and high heels. Was that her? _Yes!_

Frantically grabbing her things, Jane stumbled out of the unmarked car and headed inside, attempting to casually walk in behind her. Jane did a quick rundown, trying to figure out what she could use as an ice breaker. How was it that during all that time in the car, Jane hadn't thought this through? It was obvious that Maura was into fashion, but Jane knew she couldn't even fake a conversation about that. In Maura's hand was a large text book.

"Bit of light reading?" Jane asked, surprising herself at how quickly and dumbly she jumped into the conversation.

Maura turned to look at her, confused at being addressed. Jane felt pressure in her chest when their eyes locked. Maura was… gorgeous. Her red lips turned upwards into a smile when she realized that Jane was talking to her. Her already rosy cheeks flushed a deeper shade of pink as she looked down at the large text book and back at Jane.

"Oh – no, I…" Maura stammered.

"Next," shouted the barista.

Maura smiled to apologize for having to divert her attention as she gave her coffee order. Jane cursed inwardly at the broken moment. She gave her own order and tried again as they waited for their drinks.

"So," Jane said, craning her neck to read the title of the book clutched in Maura's arms. "Anatomy? Are you at BCU Med?"

"Oh, no," Maura said, smiling at the floor. She clutched the book tighter. "Just a hobby, I suppose."

Jane raised her eyebrows. "Wait, what? That's insane."

Maura finally met Jane's eyes, as if timidly trying to tell the tone of Jane's reaction. "I find the human body fascinating. The way it fights and repairs itself is extraordinary."

Jane smiled. She wasn't sure what she was expecting, but it definitely wasn't this. She certainly didn't expect the daughter of a mobster to be so articulate and poised. Paddy's gang members referred to her as the doctor… was all of this self-taught?

Jane's curiosity got the better of her. As they both reached for their drinks, she went with her gut.

"Oh man, it's packed in here. Only one table open."

Maura withdrew her gaze from Jane to follow her nod towards the empty table. "Oh no, well I can always-"

"What? No, you were here first –"

"But you spotted it first."

Jane smirked. "Any thoughts on sharing? I know you're looking to study up, so I swear I'll be quiet."

Maura broke out into a smile. "Of course."

Jane held out her hand to let Maura lead the way, and smiled as she watched Maura clumsily trip over someone's bag. It was – adorable. How was this Paddy Doyle's daughter? How did she cut open a man's chest earlier this week? She was fascinating. And like that, Jane was hooked.


	2. Chapter 2

Jane rounded the table to sit in the open chair across Maura, dumbfounded at how quickly this had escalated. She had hoped to say a word or two and then leave. Enough to leave an impression, but put enough distance between what she was really after. She wanted the exchange to feel natural and unplanned; to grow the relationship from a few words to sentences over the course of the next few weeks, hoping Maura would unknowingly let her guard down around Jane. Instead she had plummeted head first. She grimaced as she sat down, the pain in her ribs still very sore, and wiped her hands on her jeans, trying to see what she could come up with.

"So last question I swear... you have to be doing this in order to one day go into medical school, right? Or at least something in the healthcare profession? Because doing this voluntarily is insanity. Very impressive insanity."

Maura blushed again, her eyes cast downwards and she fidgeted with the worn book cover. "No, just for fun. I figure it might come in handy one day."

"You know just the other day, I thought to myself, 'Gee, this seems like a good time for brain surgery.'" Jane said with a smile.

Maura pursed her lips, trying not to laugh. "It's not brain surgery! Just basic anatomy."

"Ahh right. Totally basic." Jane chuckled, playing with the sleeve of her coffee cup. "Ok, I said I would shut up. I'll keep my promise."

Jane's hand clutched the small GPS tracker in her pocket. She hadn't planned to get the opportunity to use it during this initial meet up, but she was already so close. Maura's purse was resting against the leg of the table.

"No, no, it's fine. It's really nice actually. Most of the people I hang out with don't find it interesting in the least. They roll their eyes whenever I try to share something."

Jane stomach tightened in excitement. Was it going to be this easy to get her to talk about her personal life? She almost felt like she was walking into a trap. Still, she pressed on.

"They're probably just too stupid to realize how awesome it is. Man, my mom would have killed for a doctor in the family. Or at least a makeshift one anyway," Jane finished with a smile.

"Oh, I'm so rude. I've been talking all about myself... what is it you do?"

"Me?" Jane racked her mind, trying to think of the most believable thing to say. "Oh, I uh - I'm unfortunately following in my father's footsteps at the moment."

Jane could tell she struck a chord. Maura' eyebrows lifted, clearly painfully aware that Jane's family business was a far cry from her own.

"Dad's a plumber. Super glamorous, right?" Jane sighed, hoping that Maura would read it as a sense of remorse. "Just wanted to do right by my pops, you know? Support the family. But it's not really what I want."

"What is it you want?" Maura asked, her voice small.

Jane scratched the back of her neck and shrugged. "That's the problem. I was never good at anything, so this sort of seemed like the thing to do."

"Well it's a very worthy trade," Maura replied, matter of factly. "I think the most rewarding professions out there are probably the least glamorous."

Jane smiled, taking a sip of coffee. If she hadn't seen her in the warehouse a few days ago with her own eyes, she would never be convinced that this woman could be the product of Paddy Doyle. There was such a softness about her, holding this light and fascination behind her eyes in everything she talked about. But Jane could see that it was also clouded by a darkness, as if she had been told her entire life to keep quiet and stay in the shadows. To blend in. The gratitude that she showed Jane from asking just a few simple questions was astounding.

Jane needed to get a hold of herself. She was here for one mission - find Paddy Doyle's location. Again, she brought her hand to the pocket that held the GPS tracker. As Maura reached for her cup to take a sip, Jane pushed out her hand, hoping to drop it quickly in Maura's purse before she noticed.

Jane's leg bumped Maura's under the table as she attempted to quickly make her move.

"Oh, god - sorry. Just a little cramped in here." Jane blushed, scooting her chair back, annoyed at how badly she mishandled and rushed the drop off. "I'm Jane by the way," Jane said, offering out her empty right hand. "Figure I should introduce myself if I'm going to kick you."

Maura laughed and shook her hand. "Maura. Very nice to meet you, Jane." She hesitated for a moment, as if deciding how much she wanted to share.

Jane did her best to wait, hoping that Maura wouldn't back down. She made another comment about her family, hoping she could get Maura to divulge some more. To her luck, Maura bit the bait.

"My father doesn't understand my interest in the sciences." she said with a sad smile. "He doesn't understand where I got it from."

"Oh, yeah? What's he do?" Jane wanted to kick herself for jumping to the question so quickly. She couldn't seem to stop herself.

Maura smiled weakly. "He's in waste management." - Jane managed to turn a snort of laughter into a cough at the thinly veiled Soprano's reference - "Just as glamorous, you could say."

"Does he mind you trying out something else?"

"He's a bit... overprotective. Just very concerned. Thinks of the world as a cruel place, you know?"

Jane couldn't help but raise her eyebrows at that comment._ Paddy Doyle claiming the world to be cruel? Man, what kind of shit was he feeding her? She didn't actually believe that, did she?_ She was clearly too smart to buy that load of bull.

"And what do you think?" Jane asked, raising her eyes to meet Maura's.

"I - I think it can be extraordinary. I've seen a lot of terrible things, but I just want to experience it all. Leave no stone unturned. I want to stick my toes in the sand, spend hours at a museum, learn ballet. There's just so much out there that I want to explore."

Jane was taken aback. "You mean to tell me you never had to go to any of the museums for school? I feel like I had to write at least three book reports on those field trips."

Maura gave a small smile and shrugged. "Home schooled."

A loud clap of thunder stirred Jane from her thoughts.

"Oh man, I forgot it's supposed to pour." Jane said, peering through the store's window.

"Oh! I should really go. I want to try to make it back before it starts." Maura said, gathering her things.

Jane nodded. She got up quickly and winced at the pain in her side.

"Are you alright?" Maura asked as she swung her purse over her shoulder.

"Huh? Oh yeah, fine." Jane bit her lip. It was now or never. She left her hand out to let Maura lead the way. She stepped closer, hoping Maura didn't sense her, and took the GPS tracker out of her pocket, carefully dropping it in the outer zipper of Maura's purse.

Maura stopped short at the door, sending Jane toppling into her.

"Oh shit, sorry! God I'm a mess. I didn't spill your coffee on you, did I?" Jane asked, holding her breath, hoping that Maura didn't suspect anything.

"No, no, it's okay." Maura said, wiping her napkin against her chest. Jane felt her face flush as she watched Maura blot the front of her blouse.

"Oh god, hold on. Let me grab something." Jane said, her voice slightly higher than normal, as she rushed to grab paper towels. "How can I make it up to you?"

"Oh, it's no problem. Nothing a little soap and water won't fix."

Jane had to pry her eyes away to stop staring.

"I don't want to be too forward... can I offer you a ride home? Hate for you to get caught in the rain."

For the first time, Maura froze up. It didn't go unnoticed by Jane.

"Oh, no, no. I'm fine. I - um, I'm just around the corner."

"You're sure?" Jane asked as she held open the door.

"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you though." Maura said with a nervous smile.

"Well here, let me give you my umbrella. I won't need it."

"Oh, I couldn't-"

Jane waved her off and jogged to her car across the street as the first rain drops started to come down. She dug around the backseat and grabbed the yellow umbrella that was always rolling around as she drove. Holding the umbrella with one hand, she covered her head with the other to shield herself from the rain fall, quickly making her way back to the awning that Maura stood under.

"You're hurt," Maura said matter of factly, her eyes immediately focusing on Jane's side.

"What? No, I'm fine."

"I noticed it earlier, and again when you pulled up your arm. You've been carrying your weight differently to compensate."

"Oh, well it's not a big deal. Just a little bruise." Jane said, handing the umbrella over. Maura ignored it.

"May I see?" Maura asked, her hand already beginning to reach out.

"I don't-" Jane started but froze when Maura pulled up her shirt. Jane quickly glanced around the sidewalk as her shirt was hiked up. "Woah." she breathed out, her stomach tensing.

Maura all but ignored her, gasping at the large purple and blue bruising that covered most of Jane's left side. Her fingers brushed over Jane's skin as she leaned in closer.

"Jane, this is terrible. You probably have a bruised rib. Have you seen a doctor?"

Jane backed away and pushed down her shirt, her face flushed. She exhaled finally, praising her luck at forgetting to put on a wire this morning.

"It's no big deal. It'll clear up in a few days. I've been through worse."

Maura's eyes shot up to Jane's in a look of concern. "You've been more bruised than this being a plumber?"

Jane cursed inwardly at her ramblings.

"I'm just a huge klutz that all. Could never wear those heels," she said with a laugh, hoping it came off as normal. "I mean you saw me earlier with the coffee," Jane said, gesturing to Maura's stained blouse. "I'm hopeless."

Maura shot her a sideways glance. "How did you get this one? How long has the brushing looked like this?"

"Uh, just wasn't paying attention and tripped. Can't take me anywhere," Jane laughed again, at an even higher pitch this time. Jane knew it was time to go. The last thing she wanted to do was attempt to lie about anatomy in front of the doctor. "Anyway, here's the umbrella."

Jane pushed the umbrella out to Maura again, and Maura grabbed it, clearly not fully satisfied with Jane's answer.

"Thank you." Maura said, as she finally pulled her eyes away from Jane and focused on the umbrella in her hand. "How can I find you again to return this to you?"

Jane clenched her jaw. She knew one of the most important things to do when going undercover was to let the target make the first move.

"Oh, don't worry about it. It's a shitty, old umbrella."

"Oh no, I insist." Maura hesitated, as if considering handing Jane her number. But Jane knew she had to be better trained than to hand over a potential GPS tracking device to a stranger. She was positive Paddy would have made sure she was always on alert. "Do you come here often? I stop by all the time to get some reading done. Maybe I could give it to you tomorrow?"

Jane cracked a smile. "Sounds like a plan."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Thank you so much for the positive feedback. Glad to see so many of you are "hooked." ;)


	3. Chapter 3

Jane sat in the car, somehow winded from the whole experience. She had gone undercover before, but never had she felt so distracted. She gripped the steering wheel as all of the conversations from the last hour swirled in her head, nervously playing over the last five minutes as she shifted the car into gear and pulled away. She rubbed her eyebrow and cringed as she remembered Maura's doubtful face as she tried to explain the bruising.

Jane's mind jumped to Maura's fingers running up her shirt and bit the inside of her cheek as her lips turned upwards. So much for an incognito drop off.

Jane pulled into the Boston police station and made her way up to the Narcotics floor. As always, her eyes focused on Homicide, just one floor up. She grinned at the thought of handing Paddy Doyle over to Cavanaugh. It would be Boston's biggest drug bust of the century. The accolades would come pouring in, and she would be promoted, the youngest female homicide detective in Boston's history.

Her daydream ended as she sat down in front of her computer, eager to see where Maura led her. She pulled up the tracking software and bit her lip in excitement; Maura looked to have brought Jane exactly to Doyle's new hiding spot. Jane could see the dot in what looked to be the back warehouse of an electronics store. Jane started writing down the name so that the analysts could begin tracking whether the store was being used as a drug front.

"Rizzoli?"

"Yes, sir," Jane said quickly, attempting to straighten up her desk as Lieutenant Cavanaugh walked by.

"I see you're back in the office. Don't tell my you gave up already."

"No, sir." Jane said, trying to contain her excitement. "I met with the target. I've got the hideout location right now."

Cavanaugh eyebrow's raised in surprise. Bending down to get a look at Jane's computer screen, he whistled. "Look at that. Well I'm definitely impressed. You ready to send in troops? You think Doyle is definitely there?"

"I think he's there." Jane said, bringing her chair around to face Cavanaugh. She knew she needed to choose her words carefully. "But I think going in now is a wasted opportunity, sir."

Cavanaugh leaned back against the edge of Jane's desk, rubbing his chin. "Is that so?"

Jane nodded. "Having them at this electronics store only proves to me that Doyle's got men all over the city. I think if we catch him, all we have is him running his operations out of jail. Nothing changes. But if I can get his daughter to trust me, I think we can take the entire thing down. We need to know who he's got working in the prisons. Who's working in shipping." Jane paused, hoping she could reel Cavanaugh in. "Who's working at the BPD."

Cavanaugh nodded, scratching the back of his neck. "And you think we'll spook her if we go in now."

Jane readjusted in her chair, trying to make herself seem bigger. "Exactly. I think... I don't think she wants the life she has, but it's all she's known. If I can get her to open up to me, I think we get everyone he's got working on the inside. It could be huge."

Cavanaugh brought a hand up to loosen his tie, and nodded. "It could be. But what if you can't gain her trust? What if you scare her and she tells her dear old dad before we send in the SWAT team? A lot of kids don't agree with their parent's choices. Doesn't mean they would hand them in for it."

"Well, yes, but -"

"And it sounds like the girl's never been out on her own before. What's she going to do when daddy's locked up and she doesn't have his cash coming in?"

Jane found herself getting flustered, though not for Cavanaugh attacking her logic. "She's incredibly smart. And I can tell her heart's in the right place. She's kind... and gentle."

Cavanaugh eyes widened. He leaned in towards Jane and lowered his voice. "You better watch yourself Rizzoli. You're starting to sound -"

"Attached? Emotional?" Jane spat back, her anger rising. "Very original, sir."

"Rizzoli, you can't-"

Jane pursed her lips, knowing she was out of line. She clenched her jaw, and tried to push past the rising frustration. "I apologize sir. I know you're looking out for my best interests and the case. But I'm telling you - if we move in early, this whole thing will be a wash."

"Paddy Doyle behind bars is fruitless?"

"Nothing stops. This thing is bigger than him. He'll be running the whole thing from his cell. We can't lose this opportunity."

"You're willing to claim your career on this? Because when word gets out that we have Doyle's exact location and failed to act, the both of us are out on the streets."

Jane paused for a moment. Was this worth everything? Was this worth what she had been dreaming of since she was twelve years old? Despite everything she told Cavanaugh, was she doing this for the right reasons? Was there this small piece in the back of her mind trying to extend the story, all so that she could get to know Maura a little bit better?

Jane pursed her lips, as her stomach twisted at the thought. No, she told herself. Whatever interest and fascination she felt for the girl was symptomatic of what she was attempting to do - gather data to shut down Doyle's operation. The girl was a means to an end. Nothing more.

"Yes, sir. I can close this. I will."

* * *

><p>Jane's eyes unfocused as she looked at her laptop again. No movement. Cavanaugh had given her one more week to get Maura to talk, but Jane hadn't seen movement for two days. Reclining her seat, she sighed. If she wasn't able to talk to Maura again, Cavanaugh was going in. Jane raked her hand through her hair at the thought of being so close. She just needed to gain Maura's trust and convince her -<p>

There she was! Jane spotted her yellow umbrella dangling from Maura's wrist before she disappeared into the coffee shop. Jane shot a look back at her laptop screen and groaned at her own stupidity. Maura had switched purses.

Cursing at herself, Jane grabbed her things and waited a moment or two, not wanting to head in immediately after. She counted down the seconds before saying "screw it" and walked into the coffee shop.

"Jane?"

Jane whipped her head around and smiled when she saw Maura waving at her.

"Hey," Jane said, attempting to feign surprise.

"Hi," Maura responded breathlessly as she made her way through the crowded coffee shop. "I'm so glad you're here."

"Yeah?" Jane said with a grin.

"Yes, your umbrella," Maura said as she brought her wrist up. "I wasn't able to stop by yesterday to return it. I hope you didn't wait long."

"Oh," Jane said, shaking her head. "Right, yeah. No problem at all."

Jane silently look the umbrella, racking her mind of things to say. _Jesus, pull yourself together. _"Hope it came in helpful," she said, trying to stall.

"Oh, yes! It really started pouring. I would have been drenched without it. I really can't thank you enough. Can I buy you a cup of coffee in return?"

"The coffee is probably more expensive than the umbrella," Jane said with a laugh. "But I've got some time to kill if you want to keep me busy." Jane's stomach twisted. God, she was coming on strong. Jane wiped her clammy hands on the side of her jeans. "That is, if you're not about to leave."

Maura cracked a smile. "I've got time."

And the rest of Jane's afternoon flew by. She could feel herself becoming more and more captivated by the girl. Despite revealing so little about her life, she had so much to say. Jane attempted to subtly bring up her own parents again in hope that Maura would reveal more. From what she understood, it sounded like Maura's only two spots were the coffee shop and the library.

"My father just likes to know where I am at all times," Maura tried to explain. Her eyes fell down to the table, clearly embarrassed.

"Well it sounds like he and my ma would get along great." Jane said, trying to make light of the moment. "Biggest busy body you'll ever meet."

Maura smiled and brought her gaze back up to Jane, happy she didn't push her.

"So, I was going to ask, but maybe you wouldn't be able to..." Jane started.

"What?" Maura asked, her eyes widening with excitement.

"The Boston Museum of Science has this new exhibit, all about the heart. I thought it seemed right up your alley... and you mentioned having never been to one of our fine museums..." Jane trailed off with a smile.

Maura's face broke out into a grin. "I saw an ad for it on the bus... I - I suppose I could go."

"What pops doesn't know won't kill him right?" Jane said as she gave Maura a playful nudge. "Are you free tomorrow? Maybe around 3:00?"

Maura nodded enthusiastically. "Yes. Yes, I'll be there."

* * *

><p>Maura stood a few feet away, sandwiched between two children, all of whom were pumping feverishly at the hands-on model heart table to simulate blood flow. Jane couldn't help but smile. Every minute Jane spent with Maura, she uncovered a new side to her. Her child-like excitement was infectious. Maura had spent much of the afternoon breathlessly trying to explain to Jane the inner workings of the aortic pump.<p>

Jane caught very little of it. She was finding herself continually distracted whenever Maura would lean in and whisper in her ear.

"Jane!" Maura called out eagerly, practically skipping as she headed back towards Jane. "What a wonderful example. This metaphor is such a brilliant way to explain the intricacies of the human heart to young minds. So much easier to tackle than a textbook."

Jane laughed and walked with Maura back towards the stairs up to the lobby. She had decided earlier that day as she waited for Maura on the steps of the Museum that she was going to tell her today. Despite repeating "she's just a means to an end" to herself time and time again, the guilt of Maura's trust eating away at her the moment she left the coffee shop yesterday. She only had four more days before Cavanaugh made his move, and she had to make sure Maura was out of harm's way before the time came.

"Maura," she started as they made their way back up from the basement's exhibit. "Listen, I -"

Jane stopped as a litany of sounds echoed out from Maura's purse.

"Oh my goodness," Maura said as she reached into her purse for her phone.

"Ahh, yeah. The reception is really crummy down there -"

"Oh my god it's so late! I had no idea." Maura exclaimed as she worriedly looked at the missed phone calls and messages from the afternoon. "Oh, Jane, I've got to go. I'm so sorry!"

Maura slammed her phone back into her purse and began running up the steps. Jane hurried to keep up with her.

"Wait - I - when will I see you again?" Jane called out as Maura hurried towards the door. "Do you - do you want to exchange numbers?"

"I - I can't. I'm sorry, Jane. I have to go."

* * *

><p><strong>AN**: I am so, so sorry for the wait. Life got ahead of me. Thank you so much for the encouraging words. I love hearing what y'all think. Thank you!


End file.
